HISTORICAL PROFILE
OF THE LAS PINAS CITY BAR ASSOCIATION (LPBA), INC.
as of May 16, 2007
by Atty. Manuel J. Laserna Jr.
Convenor, Founding President
And Past Chairman
1. General Membership Profile
We now have 100 members. In March 2001 we started with about 35 members.
About 10 members are from the Rotary Club of Las Pinas City, some of whom are either incumbent or past presidents thereof, led by Atty. Antonio Manzano, Atty. Dick Funk (past president and incumbent chairman), Atty. Johnny Vinculado, Atty. Daniel Lacuata, et. al.
The members with the highest number of recruits are Atty. Rolly Cayton, Atty. Antonio Manzano, Atty. Marlin Velasco, and Atty, Dick Funk.
The past chairman, Hon. Magdangal de Leon, is now an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals.
The same is true with the past secretary, Hon. Arcangelita Lontok, who was appointed to the Court of Appeals a few months after that of Hon. Magdangal de Leon.
Hon. Patria de Leon, a founding member, a former solicitor, and wife of Hon. Magdangal de Leon, was appointed RTC Judge of Muntinlupa City a few months after the appointment of Hon. Magdangal de Leon and Hon. Arcangelita Lontok.
Hon. Napoleon Monsod, a founding director and former state prosecutor, was appointed in 2006 as MTC Judge of Gen. Trias, Cavite.
Hon. Magdangal de Leon, Hon. Arcangelita Lontok, Hon. Patria de Leon, and Hon. Napoleon Monsod are judicial advisers of the LPBA.
Asst. City Prosecutor Danny Uy is a founding member. (He was elected as a director and PRO of the LPBA on March 19, 2003).
Assistant City Prosecutor Cynthia Luang joined as a member in October 2002 upon invitation of Hon. Magdangal de Leon. In February 2007, Hon. Cynthia Luang was promoted as the Chief City Prosecutor of Las Pinas City.
Former Pasay City Assistant Fiscal Pacifico Lontok (deceased), husband of Hon. Arcangelita Lontok, was a founding member of the LPBA.
Three members were RTC branch clerks of court, namely, Atty. Edgar Allan Morante (RTC Branch 275), Atty. Roberto Garcia (RTC Branch 254), and Atty. Evangeline Tiongson (formerly with RTC 253 Las Pinas City; now with RTC Muntinlupa City).
The past IBP national president Atty. Arthur D. Lim is a founding member and an adviser of LPBA. His daughter Atty. Victoria Lim, a young lawyer, is a member of LPBA.
The Corporate Secretary and Chief Legal Counsel of PAGCOR, Atty. Carlos Bautista (past IBP PPLM chapter president), and the past IBP Southern Luzon Governor, Atty. Angel Gonzalez (deceased), were founding members and advisers.
Two law-focused families are members, namely, the Lontok Family (Fiscal Pacifico Lontok and Atty. Arcangelita Lontok) composed of the Lontok couple, the Lontok sisters and a niece, and the Uy Family (Fiscal Danny Uy) composed of the father, a son and a daughter in law.
A director of the IBP Cavite Chapter, Atty. Pampilo Encarnacion, is a founding director, past vice president, and past treasurer of the LPBA.
A director of the IBP Catanduanes Chapter, Atty. Marlin Velasco (the president of the Pilar Village Homeowners Association Inc.), is a founding director and past president of the LPBA.
A Comelec legal officer, Atty. Judy Lorenzo, is a founding member.
The former Chief Accountant of the SEC and now a consultant of the ADB, Atty. Purita Fajilan, is a founding member and is the incumbent auditor of the LPBA. She is married to Atty. Jovencio Fajilan, a founding director, past treasurer, and past auditor of the LPBA.
There are three law-centered couples who are members, namely, the Spouses Magdangal de Leon and Patria de Leon, the Spouses Pacifico Lontok (deceased) and Arcangelita Lontok, and the Spouses Jovencio and Purita Fajilan. Atty. Pete Diwa (founding member) recruited his wife Mrs. Liza Diwa as a founding associate member.
The former register of deeds of Las Pinas City, Atty. Corazon Chavez, is a founding director of the LPBA.
The most senior member is Atty. Teodoro Bernardo, of FEU Law Class 1950.
Former city councilor Berlin de la Cruz is a founding member.
We have two engineer lawyers, namely, Atty. Jess Sirios (PEZA deputy administrator) and Atty. Melvyn Lagasca (incumbent president).
We have two vice presidents of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp., namely, Atty. Rustico Cacal and Atty. Daniel Lacuata.
A founding member works with the Sandiganbayan, Atty. Pamela Uy (daughter in law of Fiscal Danny Uy).
We have five (5) CPA lawyers, namely, Atty. Myrna Mercader (co-convenor, past treasurer, past vice chairperson, and past chairperson of the LPBA and the past auditor of the IBP PPLM Chapter); Atty. Jovencio Fajilan (past treasurer and past auditor); Atty. Purita Fajilan (incumbent auditor); Atty. Luzviminda Zuniga; and Atty. Corazon Figuerres (incumbent treasurer).
A former chief legal counsel of the DPWH is a founding member, Atty. Oscar Abundo.
A former chief legal counsel of the PCSO is a founding member, Atty. Romy Liggayu.
A former customs collector of Cebu City is a founding director, Atty. Rod Barriga.
A former NBI special prosecutor is the founding chairman, Atty. Mar Reyes.
About 25% of the membership is made up of female lawyers.
About 20% of the members are past or current professors of law or professors of business in various law schools and business schools.
2. Linkages with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines
and Other Government Institutions
The LPBA was officially registered with the SEC as a non-stock, non-profit corporate law NGO in 2002, after a year of interim operation. Copies of its incorporation papers had been provided the Supreme Court, the IBP national office, the IBP PPLM Chapter, and the city government, for the record.
The LPBA convenors, Atty. Manuel Laserna Jr. and Atty. Myrna Mercader, had served the IBP PPLM Chapter from 1995 to 2007 in various capacities. Atty. Laserna served as the vice president of the chapter from 2005 to 2007 while Atty. Mercader served as auditor thereof for the said term.
The LPBA, thru its board and concerned committees, actively initiated the annual bench and bar dialogues and MCLE seminars in Las Pinas City from 2001 to 2006 in cooperation with the Executive Judges, the City Representative, the City Mayor, the Association of Barangay Chairmen, the City Chief of Police, the City Jail Warden, the City Social Services and Development Officer, and the City Post Master.
The LPBA is an accredited MCLE service provider since 2001.
3. Linkages with the Local Judiciary and the Supreme Court and Philippine Judicial Academy
In April 2001 and 2005, Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. administered the oaths of office of the directors and officers of the LPBA at his office.
The past and present Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is regularly provided with copies of the monthly digests of the resolutions and actions of the LPBA board for his information.
The LPBA maintains close ties with the courts and judges of the city, led by the past and present RTC Executive Judges, who serve as judicial advisers of the association.
The LPBA had worked closely with past RTC Exec. Judge Bonifacio Sanz Maceda on the planning and implementation of his proposed 180-Day EXPRESS COURT SYSTEM in the city since last year, and Atty. Laserna, Atty. Mercader, Atty. Lontok, Fiscal Lontok, Atty. Cayton and Atty. Funk had attended various meetings with the judges of the city and/or the officials of the Philippine Judicial Academy, led by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Ameurfina Herrera, on the said proposal.
4. Free Legal Aid Project
The pilot phase of the joint LPBA-Rotary Club Weekly Free Legal Aid and Consultation Project is being implemented by the committee on free legal aid headed by Atty. Antonio Manzano, who is also a leader of the Rotary Club of the city.
Atty. Manzano’s committee now handles litigations for the indigent litigants referred to it by the local courts in cases where the PAO, for some reason, is unable to represent such indigent litigants.
The IBP is prepared to allot one IBP-compensated free legal aid lawyer for the city but we find it difficult to scout for applicants to the position.
From time to time the IBP refers free legal aid cases to the LPBA committee on free legal aid for local assistance.
5. Legal Research and Publications; and Legal Advocacy
The committee on legal research and publications, headed by Atty. Rod Barriga, had previously come out with limited experimental issues of the LPBA Law Digests.
It is a project that we hope to continue, given enough funds and staff to implement the same.
The LPBA submits position papers to Congress in connection with pending bills related to the rule of law, legal education, litigation, justice system, human rights and other legal issues.
It had manifested its readiness to the City Council to attend its sessions or hearings on local legislation that affect the rule of law, justice system, human rights and other legal issues affecting the city.
6. Websites
The LPBA maintains a message board at http://groups.msn.com/laspinascitybarassociation. It contains law news and other latest law materials for the benefit of the members and the general public.
7. MCLE
The LPBA was the 23rd MCLE service provider that was duly accredited nationwide by the Supreme Committee on MCLE in 2001.
It has sponsored MCLE seminars, workshops, lectures, and dialogues or panel discussion from 2001 to 2006.
It had invited speakers from the local judiciary , the law academe, and from among its members.
Every board meeting, the board is provided with copies of the latest Supreme Court circulars, digests of recent Supreme Court decisions, and other recent law materials, for notation and discussion.
8. Free Legal Advice to Members
and Professional Networking Among Members
The LPBA provides collective pro bono legal advice to members who face pending cases in court or in other tribunals.
Where necessary, it issues public statements on points of law and procedure regarding pending cases against its members.
It also encourages continuing in-house professional networking and exchanges among the members to improve their law practice.
9. Socials
The LPBA has sponsored annual or Christmas socials from 2001 to 2005. It had invited judges and prosecutors to attend the same.
10. IBP Reforms
The LPBA has initiated a mass signature campaign in March 2007 to persuade the Supreme Court and the IBP National Board to introduce institutional reforms and amendments to Rule 139-A (“IBP”) and the IBP By-Laws, particularly with respect to the reorganization of local chapters in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon Region and the strengthening of the IBP House of Delegates as the voice of the lawyers.
It is covered by Bar Matter 1696 which is still pending in the Supreme Court.
10. The Future
The LPBA created local history when it was formed in March 2001. It was the first time that the city had formally organized its local Bar.
We aspire to become an independent IBP city chapter.
The Supreme Court and the IBP appreciate the role of voluntary bar associations to help them t in the delivery of its support services to lawyers and the general public.
Voluntary bar associations are partners of the local judiciary and of the other pillars of the local justice system in upholding the rule of law and in dispensing justice to the people.
They should be seen by local government officials as partners (not as oppositionists) in local development and community empowerment.
Even as we strive to unify ourselves as a strong and professional voluntary local Bar association, we must aspire to self-police ourselves and to mutually assist each other to improve our professional knowledge and skills and elevate our ethical standards as independent-minded, courageous, competent and honest advocates of the law, truth, freedom and justice.
The people look up to us as their advisers, guides, models, and inspirations.
Let us not fail them.
